Biology is the study of living organisms and is part of our everyday lives whether we realize it or not. It is a subject that can always be connected to life outside of the classroom and I will base my teaching strategies off of this fact. When students realize that the concepts in biology impact every aspect of their lives, they will hopefully generate an appreciation and an interest for the subject. I hope to always engage students in my lessons by connecting the subject matter to their own lives. If students are engaged in the lesson, they will be more likely to make their learning meaningful. I will create a supportive learning environment, use cooperative learning groups, and differentiate instruction to ensure that students are engaged in the lessons and can connect the material to their lives.
Two minds together are better than one mind alone, and science is a subject that definitely requires collaborative thinking. I believe that allowing students to work in pairs and groups will encourage them to share ideas, learn from each other, and then modify their ideas based on what they've learned from their peers. Holding students accountable for their work in groups will add motivation for students to complete assignments and give their best effort in order to not disappoint their partners. However, I will assess students individually because I believe a person should receive the grade they earned. In order to accomplish this, I will create assignments that require group thinking and individual writing or performing. There are many different forms of cooperative instruction that I will use in my science classroom. After spending three years of my college career tutoring freshmen college students in introductory Biology, I have discovered that the best way to learn the complicated processes and terms in Introductory Biology is by explaining the concepts to someone else. I plan to implement this cooperative learning strategy in my classroom often. Hands-on activities, which are usually most successfully when done cooperatively, most often spark the interest of students and engage them in the topic that is being taught. Hands-on activities and labs also help students see how the facts and concepts they read about in the textbook can be applied in different real life situations.
In addition to working with partners, students will also be involved in whole class discussions. I want to create an environment that students are comfortable sharing their ideas in. At the beginning of every school year, I will stress that every question is a good question and that respect for the teachers and peers is required in the classroom. Hopefully every student will develop the confidence within themselves to share their knowledge and experiences. As each lesson progresses, I want students to generate their own examples regarding the subject matter and reflect on their own feelings and thoughts about certain topics. Having classroom discussions will allow students to share these ideas and learn from the comments of other students. I will make sure to record students' questions at the beginning of every unit on a large white piece of paper, and refer back to them as we answer each one. This will show students that their thinking is important and every question will be addressed. Conducting an activity or questionairre at the beginning of the school year will show students that I am interested in getting to know them as people rather than just my students. I will also share certain personal information about myself, such as hobbies or interests outside of school. This will make students feel more accepted and comfortable in my classroom and be more willing to share their ideas.
Howard Gardener developed a theory of Multiple Intelligences that breaks down a person's intelligence into eight different categories. The eight categories are logical/mathematical, linguistic, bodily/kinesthetic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, spatial, musical, and naturalist. Every person has strengths and weaknesses in each intelligence area. As a teacher, I will make an effort to identify each students' strengths and weaknesses. The Growth Paradigm vs. the Deficit Paradigm is a concepts that involves focusing on what students can do rather than what students cannot do. As a teacher, I should modify and make accommodations to my lessons so that they gear towards my students' strengths while at the same time helping them develop their weaknesses. This process of making sure that the main points of the lesson reach each type of learner in the classroom is called differentiating instruction. I will differentiate instruction mainly by switching up the pathways in which I deliver information to students. I plan to provide students with multiple resources, such as a textbook, websites, videos, activities, pictures, etc., that they can use to understand each topic. This way, students are provided with multiple opportunities to learn the material.
My hope is that by following these three guidelines of creating a supportive learning environment, assigning cooperative groups, and differentiating instruction, students will remain engaged in the classroom and will always be able to connect the subject material to their lives. By keeping students engaged and interested, they will begin to see the beauty of the subject and develop a deeper appreciation for biology.
Two minds together are better than one mind alone, and science is a subject that definitely requires collaborative thinking. I believe that allowing students to work in pairs and groups will encourage them to share ideas, learn from each other, and then modify their ideas based on what they've learned from their peers. Holding students accountable for their work in groups will add motivation for students to complete assignments and give their best effort in order to not disappoint their partners. However, I will assess students individually because I believe a person should receive the grade they earned. In order to accomplish this, I will create assignments that require group thinking and individual writing or performing. There are many different forms of cooperative instruction that I will use in my science classroom. After spending three years of my college career tutoring freshmen college students in introductory Biology, I have discovered that the best way to learn the complicated processes and terms in Introductory Biology is by explaining the concepts to someone else. I plan to implement this cooperative learning strategy in my classroom often. Hands-on activities, which are usually most successfully when done cooperatively, most often spark the interest of students and engage them in the topic that is being taught. Hands-on activities and labs also help students see how the facts and concepts they read about in the textbook can be applied in different real life situations.
In addition to working with partners, students will also be involved in whole class discussions. I want to create an environment that students are comfortable sharing their ideas in. At the beginning of every school year, I will stress that every question is a good question and that respect for the teachers and peers is required in the classroom. Hopefully every student will develop the confidence within themselves to share their knowledge and experiences. As each lesson progresses, I want students to generate their own examples regarding the subject matter and reflect on their own feelings and thoughts about certain topics. Having classroom discussions will allow students to share these ideas and learn from the comments of other students. I will make sure to record students' questions at the beginning of every unit on a large white piece of paper, and refer back to them as we answer each one. This will show students that their thinking is important and every question will be addressed. Conducting an activity or questionairre at the beginning of the school year will show students that I am interested in getting to know them as people rather than just my students. I will also share certain personal information about myself, such as hobbies or interests outside of school. This will make students feel more accepted and comfortable in my classroom and be more willing to share their ideas.
Howard Gardener developed a theory of Multiple Intelligences that breaks down a person's intelligence into eight different categories. The eight categories are logical/mathematical, linguistic, bodily/kinesthetic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, spatial, musical, and naturalist. Every person has strengths and weaknesses in each intelligence area. As a teacher, I will make an effort to identify each students' strengths and weaknesses. The Growth Paradigm vs. the Deficit Paradigm is a concepts that involves focusing on what students can do rather than what students cannot do. As a teacher, I should modify and make accommodations to my lessons so that they gear towards my students' strengths while at the same time helping them develop their weaknesses. This process of making sure that the main points of the lesson reach each type of learner in the classroom is called differentiating instruction. I will differentiate instruction mainly by switching up the pathways in which I deliver information to students. I plan to provide students with multiple resources, such as a textbook, websites, videos, activities, pictures, etc., that they can use to understand each topic. This way, students are provided with multiple opportunities to learn the material.
My hope is that by following these three guidelines of creating a supportive learning environment, assigning cooperative groups, and differentiating instruction, students will remain engaged in the classroom and will always be able to connect the subject material to their lives. By keeping students engaged and interested, they will begin to see the beauty of the subject and develop a deeper appreciation for biology.